Presently known techniques are used to distribute broadcast radio programs through public data networks such as the Internet/World Wide Web (WWW) to users of such networks. These services are useful, for example, to provide immigrants to a country with news and entertainment broadcasts originating in their native lands and using their native languages.
However, since such distribution generally requires end-users to have digital computers and access to the Internet, it can not be applied to a large population of potential customers who either have only basic telephones or lack access to the Internet.
The present invention concerns a method of enabling radio broadcast distributors, operating through public data networks like the Internet, to reach an extended audience of customers in a manner that could significantly increase their revenues.
In accordance with this invention, such radio broadcast distributors operating through the Internet (or WWW) are linked via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to end users of the latter network employing simple telephone instruments. The Internet distributors are linked contractually and communicatively with intelligent network apparatus in the PSTN; that network apparatus preferably configured in the manner taught by Acker et al as summarized above. These links allow PSTN users subscribing to the service to receive remote origin radio broadcasts through telephone devices, including standard telephones with land-line connections to PSTN exchanges and cellular instruments.
In this extended radio distribution service, signals representing audio functions extracted from radio broadcasts originating anywhere in the world are conveyed through the Internet and PSTN to end users of the latter network, without requiring those users to have formal access to the Internet. A user of this service dials a specific telephone number; e.g. a special 800 or 900 number associated with the service, and intelligent apparatus in the PSTN operates to establish a connection between an Internet radio broadcast provider and the caller. Signals sent over the connection are converted between forms required by the Internet, the PSTN and the caller""s telephone instrument; whereby the signals appear at the caller""s instrument in an intelligible audio form.
Calls to the 800 number would be charged entirely to the callers. Calls to the 900 number could be supported either entirely or partially by fees charged to commercial advertisers. For calls to the 900 number, commercial advertisements would be inserted prior to delivery of radio program content. Revenues collected by PSTN carriers could be shared with Internet broadcast service providers where appropriate.
Radio programs delivered through the present service can be either real time broadcasts or pre-recorded content of such. For real-time broadcasts, the caller would have to identify the radio station source. For pre-recorded programs, the caller would have to identify both the station source and the program desired.
The present radio program delivery service would be useful, for instance, to enable a caller in the United States to listen to a foreign language radio newscast originating in a remote part of the world and normally broadcast over a limited geographic area that could not encompass the caller""s immediate location.
Application of the multicasting teachings of the above-referenced Malkin et al patent in PSTN intelligence providing the present service would enable that intelligence to distribute a radio program concurrently to multiple end users of the PSTN.
Revenues pertaining to this service could be derived either directly from fees charged to end users, advertisements presented in advance of the signal stream derived from radio broadcast content, or both.
These and other features, advantages and benefits of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description.